I decided to follow my heart and do what I could to learn about what an Obama presidency would mean for this country and started posting on SEATTLEFORBARACKOBAMA.COM in February 2007. HOWIEINSEATTLE.COM will continue to follow progressive Democratic politics in the spirit of Howard Dean's effort to "Take Our Country Back."--"In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it."--Barack Obama

The first vote on the FISA bill -- a vote for cloture to proceed to debate on the bill -- just passed 80-15. A NO vote was a vote to block the bill. The 15 Senators voting to block the bill: Biden (D-DE) - Boxer (D-CA) - Brown (D-OH) - Cantwell (D-WA) - Dodd (D-CT) - Durbin (D-IL) - Feingold (D-WI) - Harkin (D-IA) - Kerry (D-MA) - Lautenberg (D-NJ) - Leahy (D-VT) - Menendez (D-NJ) - Sanders (I-VT) - Schumer (D-NY) - Wyden (D-OR). Clinton, Obama, Kennedy, Byrd and McCain were all missing. It's likely that a few who voted YES will nonetheless vote against ultimate passage of the bill, but only a few (Reid and Specter, for instance, both intend to vote NO on final passage). And it's still possible that they won't get things done before the July 4 recess, but more likely that they will.